Cargo handling processes, particularly air cargo processes, are well known in the art. Automated passenger service baggage tracking systems are also well known in the art. What is not known in the art is an integrated methodology for facilitating the routing, transport and statusing of such shipments according to scheduled and uniquely identifiable transport accommodations with tracking of shipment status accommodated via two distinguishably purposed automated systems according to Cargo Routing Guide (referred synonymously herein as “CRG”) standards and protocol.
As used herein, the term “shipment” is used synonymously and with “freight”; “cargo”; “freightage”; “goods”; “lading”; “payload” and other similarly intended nouns and is further intended to include one or more items comprising a “shipment”, each item capable of varying size and weight dimensions.
Practice of the instant invention provides for faster transit time, particularly for U.S. domestic shipment(s) by utilizing a tail-to-tail transfer methodology identified and tracked by automated passenger baggage and freight tracking systems. The invention provides for a novel and efficient method, which eliminate the additional time and effort required to transport shipments to a centralized handling facility, sort transfer shipments and re-tender the shipments to the ramp for aircraft loading. The invention's novel multi-system tracking tag, combines the components of both freight shipments and baggage to facilitate the tail-to-tail process, resulting in a process which can be performed multiple times at various transfer points throughout the entire day, seven days a week.
Various devices and methods for providing shipment information and sorting shipped articles are represented prior art. For purposes of ready convenience, the following prior art references are briefly summarized below with ready distinction easily ascertainable by those skilled in the art with respect to each prior art teaching versus benefits, intent, disclosure and claims offered by the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,217 issued to Vaughn discloses an automated article sorting system wherein an electronically interrogatable label is provided for and attached to each article, the label bearing indicia indicative of a serial number, instructions relating to the routing of the label bearing those indicia being fed into a suitable computing system arranged to control the operation of sorting devices on receipt of a signal from a reader arranged to interrogate the label. The term “label” is intended to include any device such as, for example, a tag, capable of carrying the necessary indicia and of being attached to an article to be sorted. As U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,217 is directed towards disclosure and claims which relate to an electronically interrogatable label for purposes of subsequent computerized sorting, its teachings and claims appear discernibly deficient with respect the process steps and unique tracking tag of the instant invention which may or may not be used in conjunction with automated or manual processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,272 issued to Tomamoto discloses an article delivery system. In an article delivery system, articles each having sorting information are handled, and the articles are arranged in proper delivery order through a plurality of arrangement paths so as to help the delivery of the articles. This system includes a sorting information procuring device for procuring the sorting information of each article, an article information storage device which is connected to the sorting information procuring device, and collects and stores the sorting information, a database for providing the order of arrangement of the sorting information, an information processing device for arranging the sorting information in the order, provided by the database, while including information for distinguishing the arrangement paths from each other, and delivery order forming device having a communication device for transmitting the sorting information arranged by the information processing device. Similar to the discernibly distinguishable comments made in association with U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,217, U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,272 appears limited to disclosure and claims relating to sorting and procuring devices which allow for the arrangement of article delivery order in concert with identifiably information stored, read and processed by a sorting information procuring device.
United States Publication No. 20020019759 issued to Arunapuram discloses a transportation planning, execution and freight payments managers and related methods. This publication discloses a transport manager and related method for determining an optimal, cost-minimizing set of product transportation decisions based upon expected transportation costs. Additionally, disclosed herein is an electronic execution and related method for tracking and controlling the delivery and/or pickup of products according to the optimal transportation plan and a payment manager and related method for forwarding payments and invoices for the transport of the products. United States Publication No. 20020019759 is directed towards and claims a transport manager and related method for determining a low cost minimizing set of product transportation decisions based upon expected transportation costs, electronic execution associated therewith, related tracking controls and a payment manager. As such it appears absent any disclosure, teaching or intent as proposed by the instant invention, particularly those with respect to the requirement of utilizing a multi-purpose tag in concert with one or more automated systems to facilitate tail-to-tail transfers and guaranteed shipment delivery standards of the instant invention.
United States Publication No. 20020099567 issued to Joao discloses an apparatus and method for providing shipment information. An apparatus and method for providing shipment information, including a memory device for storing shipment information, a processor for processing at least one of a request and a prompt to provide shipment information, wherein the processor processes the information contained in the memory device, and further wherein the processor generates a delivery message, wherein the delivery message contains information regarding at least one of a shipment description, contents of a shipment, a description of a shipment's contents, the value of a shipment, an shipment invoice, a shipment packing slip, and a shipment bill, and an output device for at least one of outputting, displaying, and printing, information contained in the delivery message. United States Publication No. 20020099567 discloses an apparatus and method for storing and processing shipment information and is discernibly deficient with respect to the teachings of the novel tracking tag, processing steps and tail-to-tail transfer capabilities as disclosed in association with the instant invention.
United States Publication No. 20020032573 issued to Williams discloses an apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-parcel, multi-carrier, multi-service enterprise parcel shipping management. This publication provides a plurality of Enterprises with a single online user interface with which the Enterprise can provide Enterprise Shippers, shipping origination users and shipping intermediary users with an automated parcel management system for a plurality of supported Carriers for a plurality of services. Publication No. 20020032573 provides for the hierarchical definition of users, including the establishment of at least one user for each Enterprise as a Super-Administrator with the highest level of privileges and authority for the Enterprise, and the identification of other users as Sub-Administrators, Desktop Users and Shipping Station Users and also provides for the hierarchical definition of organizational units within each Enterprise, including the definition of sites, groups within a site, and users within a group. Publication No. 20020032573 appears to lastly provide for a distinct definition of policies, privileges, and other types of specifications for each user level, each user, and each organizational unit and applies the user and organizational policies, privileges and other specifications as they apply to each particular user to drive the interactive interface with each particular user and to provide among other things, shipping options, shipping services, shipping rates, traveler and/or shipping label preparation, and shipment tracking. Consequently as with the afore cited references, Publication No. 20020032573 appears absent any disclosure, teaching or claim tendered by the instant invention, particularly with regard to the invention's unique processing steps utilized in conjunction with a multi-system transport tag and interaction with automated baggage and freight processing systems.